I met with my Oncologist yesterday. Her name is Dr. Joyce O'Shaughnessy. Click on her name to hear her talking about Neoadjuvant chemotherapy like I will have. (You'll have to hit your back button after you watch her "quick talk").
She is awesome! I heard someone call her the "cancer whisperer". LOL....I think that is true. I couldn't ask for a better captain of our team!!
She feels I am a great candidate for a clinical trial going on at MD Anderson and Baylor. It basically adds a couple chemo cocktails to my regimen. I will know on Tuesday if I am in. Feels like I am going through pledge week. Please pray I get in.
So here is what will be happening with me, less some of the more mundane details.
* I go in for a small surgery on Wednesday. They will take lymph nodes, do a surgical biopsy and install the port in my chest (for giving chemo, taking blood, etc)
* I heal for about a week then start my first treatment, which is 2 weeks of some weekly and some daily treatments
* Then I have another surgical biopsy
* Next is 4 rounds of FEC75 (which is 5-FU, Epirubicin, and Cyclophosphamide) given every 3 weeks. This is one of the chemos. In addition, depending on which arm of the clinical trial I am chosen for, I will get either a daily drug for my HER2 breast cancer OR oral drug called lapatinib that interrupts cancer-causing cellular signals OR both (pray for both).
* Following that I will have 12 weeks of chemotherapy weekly. Again, depending on which arm of the clinical trial I am chosen for, I will get either a daily drug for my HER2 breast cancer OR lapatinib OR both (pray for both).
* After all of that, I will have the double mastectomy.
* After surery, there is 6 months of Herceptin treatments every 3 weeks via IV combined with 7 weeks of radiation (easy).
This is all VERY good.....good medicine to get me on the other side of this chapter in my life. I am really excited to get started.
GREAT news...Megan is coming in on Tuesday. Yahooooooo! I am so happy!
You have no idea how much all your kind calls, e-mails and cards mean to me. Truly, I am so lucky to have such an incredible support system. Thank you...so much!
xoxo
3 comments:
Maureen,
I will send you good powerful thoughts along this journey. Your sense of humor in this blog is fabulous. Keep your spirits up!
The photos of your kids are beautiful, espcially the lettuce eater. :)
You are in my thoughts a lot,
Lori N.
Hey Maureen,
Lots and lots of prayers are coming your way!!!! It sounds like you're in good hands.
Love ya,
Janine
Hi Mimi~
Christine (Megan's friend) here. I've been following your blog over the last couple of weeks and am inspired by your warrior spirit. YOU CAN BEAT THIS!
You Moons girls are something else! Kinda makes me want to try for a sister for my daughter. OK, not really, that ship done sailed, but I do envy the "sisterhood of the Moons's".
Like you said--God's timing is everything. Sounds like you are in a very supportive place right now. Prayers and blessings to you!
Christine C from AZ
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